Mechanism for heat sealing package seam joints



y 9 H. o. IRMSCHER 2,376,360

MECHANISM FOR HEAT SEALING PACKAGE SEAM JOINTS Filed July 16, 1941 a Sheets-Sheet 1 IllIIIIIIIIlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIll|IIllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIHI I INVENTOR. HANS o. m/wsc/ /flz .4 rroxe/vgy May 22, 1945. H. OplRMSCHER MECHANISM FOR HEAT SEALING PACKAGE SEAM JOINTS s sheets-sheet 2 Filed July 16, 1941 y 1945- H. o. IRMSCHER 2,376,360

MECHANISM FOR HEAT SEAL 1N6 PAGKAGE SEAM JOINTS was Ma -22,1945

UNI-TED STATES memb r-we- MECHANISM FOR HEAT SEALING Hans lrmschenlodyn, N. 'Y., asaignor National Urn Bag Company.

of New York Inc., a corporation- Applicationluly 1c, 1941, sci-alumnae 9 Claims. This invention relates to the manufacture of filled containers or bags, and more particularly is directed to portions or mechanisms of machines such as used for making filled bags, tea-balls or f\, similar infusion packages in which the bag seams are formedwith heat sealed joints.

Among the objectsof theinv'ention is to generally improve portionsof a mechanism of bag ing the folding operation and before being retracted;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on line.

Fig. 7 is afront elevatlonal ,viewof the heat sealer as seen from line 1-1 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line packaging and tea-ball making machines or the like which shall comprise few and simple parts,

which :shall be easy to assemble, which shall be readily incorporated in various typesv of partly and fully automatic existing packaging machines producing filled bags, tea-balls or the like articles for replacingthe usual seam joint sewing or stapling devices; which shall also be adapted for incorporation as part of newly constructed highspeed packagingmachines and when incorporated in eitherexisting or newly constructed ma-w chi'nespermitting an increase in the normal output capacity thereof, and which shall be prac-- tical and efficient to a high degree in operation.

Other objects of this'invention 'will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The inventionaccordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following'claims.

This case is a continuation in part of my 'ap-.

plication, Serial No. 367,051, filed November 25',

In my co-pending application above referred to,-there is disclosed an improvement in the manufacture of filled containers or packages including anovel methodof packaging tea, coffee and similar essence containing. products. Since the successful and "practical commercial utility of 5 such improvements depends on, its adaptability to large scale quantity production ofsuch packages on automatic machines, the invention convention in a high-speed fully automatic tea-ball machine constructed, for example, like that of theco-pending application of Mervin Allatt, Se:-

. rial No. 37,257, filed August 21, 1935, now Patent No. 2,290,158 issued July 21, 1942. Ony sufliclent portions of the Allatt machine are included herein 1940, for Manufacture of essence containing" packages for brewing beverages.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one possible illustrative embodiment of this invention,

Fig. 1 is atop plan'view of part of the auto- I matic tea-ball manufacturing machine with portions broken away to expose portions of the folding and'heat'sealing devices embodying the invention; v

Fig. 2 is a detailed front elevational view of the bag material feeding mechanism indicated as the first station, I, and also shown in plan view as partofFig.l;,

' Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the tubular bag sheet material fed into the machine by the mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 in Fig. '1 showing thebottom closure folded and creased;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 4 with the pusher shown in effective position duras will enable the different features of the present invention to be understood, and except as to the detail of. construction and modes of operation to be pointed out, the bag forming apparatus may be as shown in the machine illustrated in said Allatt patent to which reference may be'made for a complete description thereof. It is to be types of packaging machines.-

Reierring now to Figs. 1 and 2, 20 denotes a,

depending bag forming and carrier portion of such Allatt fully automatic-machine which is suppliedffrom a suitable source (not shown) with n tubular sheet material M in the form ofa folded strip by feeding mechanism F, full details of the construction and a complete description of the operation of said carrier and feeding mechanism F being givenin the above-mentioned Allatt application.

Said tubular sheet material M" may be of for aminous construction, as for example, filter paper, perforated parchment paper or Cellophane, cotton gauze and the like. That used in the practice of the invention here described is a filter paper base layer coated on one side with a thermo-setting partially fused plastic lamina for form'- the inner surface with the marginal edge portions thereof in contact, and folded over and \creased to form a seam joint. On heat sealing, the entire length, of said folded and creased seam joint of said tubular sheet material M may be sealed as at E shown in Figs. 2and 3.

Thetubular material M fed by mechanism F- is adapted to have its upper or leading end L mounted on a spaced pair of fingers 2| of the depending bag forming carrier portion as shown the roller cam 31.

extends to overhang one of the lugs 32 a suilicient in Fig. 2, To facilitate said mounting, the feed I mechanism Fincludes a wedge shaped tongue which extends down within I tion of the tubular material M and serves as a the leading end portuating rod 39.

means for spreading said leading end L whereby the fingers 2| may readily enter and engage therein. Said mechanism F intermittently raises screws 35b.

bottom edge of the bag Ml to form a closure seam in the manner to be hereinafter described. The side lugs 32 extend out and down to the level of the pivot pintle 3|d and there terminate in a suitable hinged means including anotherpivot pintle 32a secured in place therein by cotter pins 32b for connecting with the lowerend of lever arm 36, the upper free or which carries swinging end of a pusher plate 36a fastened by Mounted'to rotate with shaft 35 midway between the movable jaw 34 and the lever arm 36 is Said shaft 35 as shown in Fig. 6

length as at 35a to hav mounted fixedly thereon one end 38a of a rocker arm 38, the other end 38b of which is pivotally The latter may be connected through suitable attached as at 39a to an ac-"- operating timing means to the power drive of the machine. (not shown). The

action of said rod 39 is to rock said arm 38 from a loweredposition shown in Fig. 4 to a raised position shown in Fig. 5 which'in turn through the the tubular structure M onto the fingers 2| by suitable interconnecting devices (not shown) a predetermined distance corresponding to the desired length of a bag, and then releases the material M permitting the tongue 25 to drop down within said material M a suflicient distance to cleara scissors 26 which completely cuts off a unit section Mi leaving the same on said carrier portion 20 to be advanced through the machine. The mechanism F after an advance movement of the carrier portion 2|) with the unit section MI then operates to feed said material M to another pair of fingers 2| for forming a succeeding bag unit MI. The step of the manufacturing operation performed by mechanism Fwhere the tubular material M is mounted on the fingers 2| and cut into unit section Ml will hereinafter be referred to as the first station and denoted by I in the drawings.

The depending bag forming and carrier portion 20 may be constructed to have a step by-step movement, the operations at the first station I, taking place in timed relation with operations at other stations, so that the bag section M! as it leavesthe "first station I, passes to mechanism 3|) for folding and creasing the bottom closure of bag unit section M at a "second station II, prior to heat sealing at a third station IlI,'said mechanism 30 being shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6.

Bottom closure folding and creasing mechanism As seen from Figs. 4 and 5, mechanism 30 comprises a vertically extending relatively stationary jaw holder member 3| having spaced integral lugs 32 projecting from opposite sides thereof, said lugs 32 serving as bearing supports for a horizontally extending shaft 35. The jaw holder member 3| is rigidly mounted by suitable means, such as an upright arm or bracket 3|b through a bolt 3|a, said bracket 3") by suitable bolt 3| c to a rigid part of the frame B of the packaging machine. Terminatingv the upper end of the jaw holder member 3| there is fixedly secured by screws 33a, stationary jaw piece 33. A movable jaw member 34 is hinged by its lower end 34a'to the lower end 3|c of the jaw holder member 3| by suitable means, such as a pivoting pintle 3|d secured in place by cotter pins 3le. Fixed jaw 33 and the upper end of movable jaw 34 have clamping surface portions 33b and 34b, respectively, which are adapted to receive and cooperate in folding and creasin the a the movable jaw 34 in turn being firmly secured come to rest. The cam roller 31 to actuate the spring pressed 38b on returning to said medial shaft 35 rocks the roller cam. 31. This rocking action is intimed relation with the intermittent operation-of depending bag carrier 20 and takes place when movement of the unit carrier 20 has is so constructed and arranged so, as to simultaneously coact with a projecting protuberance 36a extending from a. mid-portion of the lever arm 36 and with a raised portion or boss 340 provided on the movable jaw 34. A tension spring 58 is attached above said cam roller 37, one end to the movable jaw 34 and the other to the lever arm 36 by suitable means such as eyelet anchors 34d and 360, respectively, said spring 58 serving'to urge the boss 34c on and the protuberance 360 on lever arm 36, against the cam surface of roller cam 31 for riding thereagainst.

The mechanism 30 as seen from Figs. 1 and 2 is incorporated in the packaging machine'in the path of movement of the bottom portion of unit section MI 50 that after the latter supported by the fingers 2| of the depending bag carrier 20 leaves the first station, I, it is carried to the "second station, II, where the bottom of said has unit section MI passes between guides 59 and the jaw member 34 and pusher plate 36a to a position as shown in the dotted lineposition in Fig. 5, the pusher plate 36, however, then being in a retracted position and the jaws 33 and 34 retained in an open medial position between that shown in Fig. 4 and that shown in Fig. 5 by the action of the spring 49 and roller cam 31.

Atthe "second station," II, the bag carrier 20 comes torest, and lever end 38bis raised to the position shown in Fig. 5 for lever arm 36 thereby moving the pusher plate 36a against the bottom edge portion of the bag material Ml to smoothly tuck in and fold the same between the open jaws 33 and 34 from the dotted line .to the full line position shown in Fig. 5. The lever end 38b .is then lowered to the position shown in Fig. 4 for again turning the cam 31 to successively retract the pusher plate 36a from between the jaws 33 and 34, and then to pinch crease the folded bottom portion of unit section MI by pressure between the stationary jaw 33 and the mov-. able jaw 34, thus forming a creased seam closure without a wrinkle on bag M2. The lever end position releases the pressure of movable jaw 34 permitting the folded and creased seam closure of bag M2 to turning the cam 31' asvasco pass from between the jaws II and 84 on the resumption of the advancing movement of the bag carrier 20. As the latter continuesits advancing movement, another bag unit section MI is slipped in between the jaws I3 and pusher It as the bag M:v ismoved outfrom'between said jaws 33 and 34 to a heat sealing mechanism 44 ata."third station,III.

Heat sealing mechanism As seen from Figs. 1, 7 and 8, mechanism 40 preferably is positioned in close proximity to the folding and creasing mechanism SI where the bag M2 with the-folded and creased bottom closure at the third station.- III, is heat sealed to form a seam joints, said bottom closure being brought to rest during the intermittent movement of the machine operation between a pair of pressure jaws 4|. Said jaws 4| may be heated by suitable means embedded therein, such as electric heaters H, the temperature of said heaters H being controlled and regulated by a suitable thermostat regulator C. Said heater H and regulator C may be of any well understood construction and incorporated in the heat sealing mechanism 40 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Mechanism 40 comprises, besides jaws 4|, an upstanding stanchion 42 which is rigidly mounted upon the frame B of the machine by suitable bolts 42a. Through the lower end portion 42b of the stanchion 42, a horizontally extending stud shaft 43 may be fixedly mounted by a mid-portion thereof, and have pivoted by one end 4411 of each, as at 43c, on opposite ends of said shaft 43 a pair of vertically extending arms 44, suitable end collars 45 being provided to retain the arms 44 on said ends of the shaft 43. The upper or free ends 44b of said arms 44 carry said pressure jaws 4| which are firmly secured in'place by screws 4| a and may be insulated by suitable in terposed shims 46.

The upper end 420 of the stanchion 42 may be formed with abearing in which is journalled a shaft 41 having an overhanging end 41a which extends between the arms 44 below the free end 441) thereof. Said shaft end 41a has pinned thereon a wedge cam 48 which is adapted to contact bosses 440 on the arms 44 when swinging said arms 44 apart against the action of a tension coil spring 49 which embraces said arms 44 just above wedge cam 48. Said spring 49 may have its opposite ends 49a secured to an anchorage fitting 44 for pressureheating the folded and creased closure to form the heat sealed seam Joint S forthebag M2.

n again raising of the rod 43 the bag M: with the heat sealed closure seam joint S is released from between jaws 4| of the mechanism 44, it may beadvanced to a filler andtop sealing stations, successive bags M2 being continuously advanced by the carrier 21 from the second station," II, to the third station," III, in timed relation. I

While in the above description and the drawings the mechanisms and 40 are illustrated as operating at spaced apart stations, itis to be understood that the invention is applicable to mechanism modified to utilize heat sealing jaws so that complete folding, creasing and heat sealing can be accomplished in a single station as shown in my aforesaidco-pending application. The installation here described and shown, however, is seen to' be adaptable where heat sealing closure means of package bags embodying the invention replaces sewn seam joint closure means such as in said Allatt application, cooperative mechanisms 30 and having been found most satisfactory and practical for such purposes.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an improved mechanism in which the objects of the invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet all conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments may be made in the above invention for use for different pur poses and as various changes might be made in 50 fastened to one of said arms 44 as shown in Fig. 7. The overhanging end 41b of the shaft 41 opposite said shaft end 4111 may have pinned to turn therewith one end Sla of a rocker arm ii, the free end 5Ib of which pivotally connects, as at 52, to the upper yoke end 53a of an actuating rod'53. I

With the mechanism 40v constructed and assembled as described above and shown in Figs. 7

and 8 and the rod 53 operated in timed relation,

the carrier 20 advanced the bag M2 with the folded and creased bottom closure to a position between the spread apart pair of pressure jaws 4|, the latter having been previously actuated through the rod 53 in raising the rock arm end 53b for causing the wedge cam 40 to turn and push againstbosses 44c to spread the arms -44 apart by pivoting on shaft '43 against the action of the spring '49. After the folded and creased bottom closure of bag M2 has aligned with the pressure jaws 4| at the third station," III, the rod 53 is lowered turning the wedge cam 48 to the position shown in Fig. 8 releasing the arms the embodiments above set forth, it is understood.

that all the above matters here set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a packaging machine of the character described, means for supplying bag section units of tubular sheet material coated on the inner side with a thermosetting plastic lamina to the machine, a carrier extending into a top open end of each of such units for advancing said units in succession from said supplying means through the machine in a depending position with bottom open ends of such units extending down below said carrier, a mechanism cooperating with the advancing movement of the carrier and said section units on said carrier for folding and creasing said bottom open ends of the to form temporary closure seams, said mechanism including means for deflecting the bottom open ends out of the path of movement thereof during the folding and creasing of said closure seam and means cooperating with the both said carrier and mechanism for pressure heat-sealing said closure seams to form a permanently fused joint along the inner sides of each bag unit.

2. In a bottom closure forming device of a packaging machine, in combination a carrier for advancing successive dependingly supported unit sections 'of tubular bag material coated onthe inner side with; a thermosetting plastic lamina, means free from the application of heat for overfolding and creasing open end portions of said tubular sheet material coated on the inner side with a thermosetting plastic lamina to the machine, a carrier extending into a top open end of each of said section units for advancing said units in succession from said supplying means through the machine in a. depending position with a bottom open end of such unit extending down below the carrier, mean for tightly overfolding with a retaining crease each of said bottom, open ends to form a temporary closureseam located to operate out of the path'of movement of the open ends of said units including a single pair of pincer jaws and a pusher member swingably mounted independent of said jaws to cooperate with the advancingmovement of the carrier and said section units on said carrier, and means cooperating with the operation of said carrier after creasing each of said bottom ends for pressure heat-sealing the temporary closure seam formed to permanently fuse the lamina on said inner side forming the joint at said seam.

-4. In a bottom closure forming device of a packaging machine, in combination a carrier for advancing through the machine successive dependingly supported unit sections of tubular bag material coated on the inner side with a thermosetting' plastic lamina, means free from the application of heat for overfolding and creasing open end portions of said unit section extending down below said carrier and out of the path of movement thereof to form temporary bottom closure seams, and means constructed and arranged in cooperative relation with respect to the operation of said temporary bottomclosure seam forming means for pressure-heating said closure seams to form permanently heat-sealed bottom joints by the lamina on said inner side at the seams, said folding and creasing means being located at one station of a step by step operation with respect to the travel of said carrier and out of the path of movement thereof and said pressure heat-sealing means positioned on an adjoining station thereto.

5. The combination defined in claim 3 in which means are provided for said pincer jaws when in an open position to permit the passage therebetween said bottom open end portions of the bag unit section along a path of travel ,on the carrier and when in closedposition to clamp said bottom end portions deflected from said path of travel by the pusher member for forming said temporary seam. r

6. A bottom closure mechanism for packaging machine of the character described comprising a carrier for dependingly supporting for movement in a predetermined path of travel bag unit sections having bottom open end portions extend ing down below said can'ier, clamping means when in eflective position located wholly on one side of the plane of the path of travel of said bag unit'section open end portions, and means located for movement across said path of travel to deflect said open end portions from said plane for inserting said portions between said clamping means to provide folded and creased seam closures. v

7. In combination, a folding and creasing mechanism comprising a pair of clamping jaws, a pusher member, separately pivoted arms for swingably mounting said pusher member and one of said jaws, a first cam" device interposed between and acting on said swingable arms and pusher member for moving said pusher member to tuck open end portions of bag unit section between said jaws for folding said end portion back on itself and for pinching the fold formed to provide a crease retained seam joint temporary closure, and a heat-sealing mechanism associated in timed relation to said folding and creasing by the jaws and pusher member, said mechanism including a pair of spring pressed jaws, and a second cam device interposed between said last mentioned arms for intermittently moving the spring pressed jaw to and, away from each other for permanently heat-sealing said temporary closure when the heated jaws are closed and for permitalong the path of movement of open end portions of said unit sections on said carrier, interconnecting means including a roller cam for actuating one of said jaws and said pusher member each independently with respect to the other of said jaws, said roller cam being positioned between said actual jaw and said member, the latter being located for movement to deflect said open end portion from the path of travel and to tuck in same between the jaws for folding the end portion back on itself and to pinch the fold formed between said jaws with a retained crease to serve as a temporary seam joint.

9. A mechanism of the character described for making folded and creased temporary closure seams on bag unit section comprising a pair of clamping jaws, a pusher member, a first arm for swingably mounting said pusher member, a second arm for swingably mounting one of said jaws, and means acting on said arms for actuating said pusher member to tuck in an open end portion of said unit section between said jaws and for swinging the second arm to fold said end portion back on itself and to pinch the fold for providing a retained crease of the temporary closure seam,

said arms being pivoted a spaced distance apart,

and said means including a cam device interposed between said pivoted arms for moving same.

HANS O. IRMSCHER. 

